discover life's possibilities | April

Wandering Walks & Deep Dives
I got my love of walking from my mother. Rain or shine, she would walk me to and from elementary school, and though I groaned mightily at the time, it seeped into my being, and now many of my lunch breaks have been spent choosing a direction and seeing how far my feet can take me. I enjoy noticing all the details I miss when I drive or bike, and new things will come into focus. I may not remember the names of the streets I walked through, but I’ll remember how the fog wraps around me in the morning, the way the smells change as the sun rises, and how each bird’s song hints at a new secret. When I walk to work in the morning and back home in the evening, I feel uniquely grounded on this land and humbled at my place within it. 
 
I find reading can also be like this. Sometimes I crave a good, looonnnng read, something that might take me months to finish. When I discovered how much I enjoyed James Baldwin’s writing (by reading The Fire Next Time, a collection of excellent essays that I finished in one sleepless night), I spent the following year reading all the Baldwin fiction, poetry, and essays I could get my hands on. Soaking in his thoughts built on that first positive experience, and led me to something deeper and more permanent. Though it has been several years since then, I find my thoughts returning to quotes and ideas in Baldwin’s books more clearly than some of the things I read only a month or two ago (and hardly a day goes by without me remembering a haunting line from my favorite Baldwin poem).
 
And to widen the lens a little further, I find this can be true of all creative works. Returning for a long look at a favorite piece of art brings fresh discoveries. Rewatching a much-loved movie puts a new layer on what I loved the first time. This feels like wisdom that we all know, but from time to time, we may need a reminder: it is good to slow down and pay attention to what is around us. 
 
If springtime has put you in the mood for a walk, I invite you to join us! A new adult program called Footnotes: A Library Walking Group, has started each Monday at 10 am. We gather just outside the library entrance and enjoy a stroll together. More information about this new program is available here. And, as always, if you are looking for a deep dive to read or to watch, we have some fantastic choices at the library! We’ll see you soon!
-Anthony
Anthony Morris

-Assistant Director
-Walkabout Enthusiast
-Old Snarley-Yow
 
Currently Reading

FEATURED SERVICE
Our webpage Creators' Circle brings together new local digital collections! Through the Creators' Circle you can contribute to digital collections at the library, explore the ideas of other islanders, and celebrate the culture we create together. Currently open is the call for Ferry Tales, which collects stories and art surrounding our experiences riding the ferry. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious, everyone has a tale about riding the Washington State Ferries. We want to hear yours! Learn more by clicking on the link above!

TEA WITH FRIENDS
THE PENNY PINCHER
Featuring popular services paid for by your tax dollars that you can access for FREE from the Library!   
Upgrade your business and professional skills with LinkedIn Learning! Choose bite-size tutorials or comprehensive courses on hundreds of topics taught by expert instructors. Learning experiences are personalized and self-paced. LinkedIn Learning helps you to keep up to date with technology, build career-boosting business know-how and explore hundreds of topics in management, leadership, and marketing.
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Children of the Holocaust
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
6:00pm - 7:30pm
 
Join David Reeser in examining the plight of children and adolescents in the Holocaust as they suffered, hid, and ultimately resisted the Nazis by trying to survive. You will be introduced to youth who suffered depredations in the Ghettos, who tried to pass as “Aryan,” and who had to abandon a normal childhood in order to work as slave laborers for the Nazis.
Volunteer Celebration
Friday, April 25, 2025
3:00pm - 5:00pm
 
Join the Library and the rest of the nation as we celebrate our volunteers during National Volunteer Week 2025.We'll be having a super sweet fun time with root beer floats and ice cream sundaes to honor those intrepid individuals that give so much to our community and the Library. We offer our heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers who have extended their hands in the name of humanity to uplift those in need, thank you.
Free Comic Book Day
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
 
Drop by during open hours to pick up a free comic! There will be a day long comic and graphic novel read-in in the Main Salon, complete with refreshments. All ages are welcome. Check the calendar for other Free Comic Book Day related programs happening!
Free comics are available while supplies last.
Footnotes: A Library Walking Group
Mondays at 10:00am
 
Join us every Monday at 10 am as we discover our neighborhood, meet new people, and get outside for a stroll. Pets are welcome, but you know your pet best. We ask that all pets are well-behaved and comfortable around others. Leashes required. We will meet outside the library entrance.
DONATE TO THE LIBRARY
The San Juan Island Library welcomes gifts to support the programs, collections, and services designed to meet the needs of San Juan Islanders, nonprofit partners, and visitors of all ages, that are not met by tax revenue. There are many ways to support your library!
STAFF PICKS
Check out our latest faves!
 
The Book of Difficult Fruit
by Kate Lebo 
 
Inspired by twenty-six fruits, essayist, poet, and pie lady Kate Lebo expertly blends the culinary, medical, and personal in a book of lyrical essays, accompanied by recipes.
Song of a Blackbird
by Maria Van Lieshout 
 
In 1943 Amsterdam, Emma Bergsma's world changes when she witnesses Jewish families being forcibly deported to concentration camps. That pivotal moment lights a fire within her, and she decides to join the Dutch Resistance. Before long, Emma is drawn into a clandestine world of printing presses and counterfeiters...In 2011 Amsterdam, teenage Annick's world has changed as well. A search for a bone marrow donor for her beloved oma leads to a shocking revelation: her grandmother was secretly adopted as a child.
 
In Patagonia 
 by Bruce Chatwin
 
Gives an account of Bruce Chatwin's journey through Patagonia, where he searched for almost-forgotten legends, Butch Cassidy's log cabin, and the descendants of Welsh immigrants.


Discover Life's Possibilities
1010 Guard St, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250
(360) 378-2798
https://www.sjlib.org

Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up to have the eNewsletters sent straight to your mailbox!